Trees More Precious than Gold

Description

The town of Milanówek (Mazowieckie Voivodeship) was built on what used to be the Jaktorowska Forest. The town is still rich in green spaces and Milanówek earned itself the Garden City nickname. Municipal documents show that a balanced development of the city has been one of the priorities of the municipality. However, through our observations we have concluded that the subject is often ignored. In 2019, together with four other organizations, we have written an open letter to the Mayor and the City Council in which we have stressed the ecological problems of the municipality and suggesting possible solutions. But we have not received an answer. The general population seems to be ignoring these issues as well, a fact supported by common littering and extensive clearing of the green spaces on private properties. That is why we would like to engineer a long-term public campaign for the protection of Milanówek’s nature. We would like to organize three preparatory meetings with the citizens, seniors, local activists, and the City Council. We will have a series of workshops with our Norwegian, Islandic, and Belarusian partners. It will allow for exchange of experience between individuals from different parts of Europe. The founder of Fortellerhuset (The House of Tales) from Norway will introduce the participants of our project to the storytelling method, an activation and civic dialogue tool. A storyteller from Islandic storyteller club, or Felag Sagnaþula, will share her storytelling skills. Inna Shved, a Belarusian professor from the Student’s Research Laboratory “Folklore and the Local History” (Philology Department, A.S. Pushkin Brest State University) will present a series of lectures and show potential ways to work in the field, which will help the citizens of Milanówek to appreciate its natural environment. The staff of the Milanówek’s Arts Center will help with organization of workshops and lectures, serving as experts in local history and nature.

Summary of project results

Milanówek (Mazowieckie Voivodeship) was established in areas that were once covered by the Jaktorów Forest. There is still plenty of greenery in the urban space, and Milanówek itself is often referred to as a garden city. Municipal documents indicate that sustainable development is one of the city''s priorities. However, from our observations, it was often overlooked. In 2019, together with other organizations, we wrote an open letter to the mayor and councilors, highlighting the environmental issues in the municipality and proposing specific solutions. We received no response. Some residents also displayed a dismissive attitude towards these issues, evident in actions such as littering and intensive tree felling on private properties.

Therefore, we wanted to conduct a campaign to protect the nature of Milanówek. We organized three informative-preparatory meetings with residents, including seniors, local activists, and the city council. We also conducted workshops and lectures with partners from Norway, Iceland, and Belarus. This allowed for an exchange of experiences among people from different European countries. The founder of Fortellerhuset (House of Stories) from Norway introduced the participants of our project to the method of storytelling as a tool for engagement and social dialogue. A storyteller from Felag Sagnaþula, an Icelandic club of local storytellers, shared storytelling skills with the participants. Thanks to her workshops, the Milanówek Map of the Invisible City was created, which can be used for independent city walks. Ina Shved, a professor from the research laboratory "Folklore and Local History" at Brest State University in Belarus, presented outdoor activities that helped Milanówek residents appreciate its nature. Employees of the Milanówek Cultural Center supported us in organizing workshops and lectures on promotion and technical support. We also prepared a publication titled "Trees More Valuable Than Gold: The Green Milanówek Card," which was presented at a city council meeting and adopted in a directional resolution.

According to the evaluation surveys, the workshops raised the participants'' knowledge level on topics related to water retention, the role of trees in ecosystems, permaculture, and biodiversity. Additionally, there was increased participation of residents in subsequent legal cases related to illegal tree felling.

Summary of bilateral results

Thanks to the bilateral cooperation following qualities/outcomes were achieved:- broadening the educational and cultural offer for Milanowek residents with innovative methods of working with storytelling and guided tours in an ecological and local context (storyteller and ecological educator Georgiana Keable from Norway - Fortellerhuset, storyteller and city guide Sigurbjorg Karlsdottir from Iceland - FelagSagnapula )- learning about the specific ecological and cultural characteristics of the donor countries Norway and Iceland - permanent resource in the form of traditional and author''s stories, written by the partners of the Donor Countries, included in the publication "Trees More Precious Than Gold"- creation of a methodological publication with lesson plans, combining storytelling with environmental education, for teachers of primary education of Milanowek, based on the experience of workshops conducted by partners from Donor States - in electronic and printed versions - expanding the competence and experience of female leaders of the Musszelka Foundation, thanks to a study visit to a center combining storytelling with environmental education at the Donor State Partner of Norway- continuation of cooperation - planning joint projects combining storytelling with environmental education